A cokpoeation of dela



March 20, 1928. I

B. P. HAZELTINE METHOD OF PREVENTING OXIDATION OF METAL-PIPE WH-IL'ECOOLING Filed April '7, 1926 2' Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTQR March 20', 1928.

' B. P; HAZELTINE METHOD OF PREVENTING OXIDATION OF METAL Pm: WHILEcoomue Filed April v. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet A TOENEY' Patented Mar. 20,1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEN-THIN P. HAZELTINE, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO WHEELINGSTEEL CORPORATION, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF DELA-WARE.

METHOD PREVENTING OXIDATION OF METAL PIPE \VHILE COOLING.

Application filed April 7,

This invention relates broadly to amethod of reventing the oxidation ofmetal pipe whi le cooling following the manufacture thereof.

A further object is to provide a method of effecting the cooling ofmetal pipe wherein the pipe is maintained during the cooling interval inan atmosphere rendered nonoxidizing by gases or vapors which may eitherbe introduced to envelop the pipe or be created, or arise from, theheated pipe itself.

A still further objectis to provide a method of effecting the cooling ofthe pipe which shall include the exclusion ofatmospheric air from andthe maintenance of a nonoxidizing or reducing atmosphere within achamber, thereby to prevent oxidation of the pipe within said chamberduring the interval required to reduce the temperature of the latterbelow that at which it will readily oxidize upon exposure to the air.

In describin the invention in detail, reference is hereln had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional side elevationof a form of pipe cooling mechanism embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section, reduced, of the casing, showing theenclosed mechanism in top plan;

Figure 3 is a vertical section, reduced, taken on line 33, Fig. 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4, Fig. 3.

Referring to said drawings, 1 indicates a downwardly and forwardlyinclined bench having a length approximating that of the pipe that isbeing manufactured, and to which the len ths of the pipe produced aredelivered as t ey are successively advanced through the usual sizingrolls (not shown). Said bench may be mounted in any suitable manner, butis preferably carried upon the upper ends of a plurality of threadedstandards 2 which are adjustable vertically in base castings 3 forpositioning the bench at a suitable elevation for receiving theadvancing lengths of pipe thereon.

Disposed lengthwise of the bench 1 is a pipe holding and releasingdevice which, as herein shown, comprises a member 4 of reversedtrough-like form in cross section normally having its parallel terminaledges 1926. Serial N0. 100,366.

occupying seated relation to the top surface of said bench. In its saidnormal position, the trough member is adapted to receive bet-ween itssubstantially parallel sides a length of pipe 5 introduced lengthwisethrough a therewith alined port 6 provided in an end of a casing 7 whichconstitutes a chamber-forming enclosure within which said bench 1 andother associated parts of the invention are located; and, additionally,said member 1 serves to guide the so delivered pipe to, and accuratelyto retain the latter in, horizontal position on the inclined surface ofsaid bench.

Said trough member is formed with a longitudinal web or tin S on thehack thereof, and cast inti-igral therewith at an appropriate point, asapproximately midway between the ends thereof is a transverseilll-llltcrsccting sleeve 5) in which is closely titted an arm 10. Saidarm is disposed in fixed relation to the substantially horizontal arm 11oi an angular lever 11 which has its said arm pivotally mounted uponsupporting lugs 13 carried on the rear part of the bench 1. Formedonlsaid trough member at intervals throughout its length are arms 14which are pivotally mounted on other lugs 15 carried by said bench, asshown. A connecting rod or link 16 is interposed between thesubstantially vertical arm of the lever 11 and a crank arm 17 carried bya suitably journaled shaft 18 which is located outside the casing 7 andwhich has fixed thereon an operating lever 19. Thus, as is evident,forward and rearward shifting force applied to said operating lever willeffect elevation and lowering of the trough member with respect to theseated position thereof shown in. Figs. 1 and4 of the drawings. It willbe understood that mechanical means for effecting shit'tim of the troughmember may be substituted mthe hand shifting means shown and described.

Located within the cooling chamber formed by the provision of the casing7 is a continuously traveling pipe conveyor comprising a plurality ofendless conveyor chains 20 carried by pairs of sprocket wheels 21, saidchains having fixed thereon at equidistant intervals upstanding posts 22and adjacent posts. being adapted to receive t-herebetwe'en a singlepipe. The posts of the various chains embodied in the conveyor are soarranged that they form rows parallel to the -front end of the bench 1.Said edge overlies the adjacent end of the conveyor, and, thcretorc, assuccessive lengths of pipe, delivered to the bench as aforesaid, arerele od, they roll down the inclined surface of said bench and drop fromthe latter to a space between two alined rows of posts of said conveyor.Obviously, successively released pipes are thus delivered to differentspaces and are maintained out of contact with one another by thespace-separating rows of posts.

Pipes delivered to the conveyor are advanced on the latter and, as theconveyor chains 20 pass downward over the forward sprocket wheels 21,roll oil the posts 22 of the row next in advance thereof to and througha horizontal opening or passages 23 provided in an amn'opriate positionin the casing, thence roll down over the inclined top surface of asuitable shelf or apron 24 and are delivered by gravity to a secondconveyor located without the casing, as shown,

sa d second conveyor comprising endless traveling chains 95 carried bysprocket wheels 26. The chains carry posts 27 having an arrangementcorresponding to the posts of the first mentioned conveyor. Said secondconveyor may lead to any suitable delivery location.

The casing 7 is designed to confine a cooling medium which may consistof the gases and vapors arising from the heated pipes passingtherethrough, or live steam introduced within the casing. Enveloped bysuch cooling medium, the pipe is cooled rapidly in an atmosphere fromwhich is excluded atmospheric air, thereby preventing excessiveoxidation and scale formation.

What is claimed is- 1. The method of handling metal pipe to preventexcessive oxidation while cooling, which consists in conveying thelieaited pipe to and through an enclosed chamber from which atmosphericair is excluded, and maintaining said pipe in the non-oxidizing atniosphere of said chamber while cooling it to a point below that atwhich oxidatixm occurs, said atmosphere being created by steam withinsaid chamber.

52. The method of handling metal pipe to prmient cXce,. ..1ire oxidationthereof while cooling, which consists in conveying the heated pipe toand through an enclosed chamber from which atmospheric air is excluded,and maintaining said pipe in a nonm-zidizing atmosphere created by steamwithin said chamber until the pipe has cooled to a point below that atwhich oxidation oc curs.

3. The method of handling metal pipe to prevent excessive oxidationwhile cooling, which consists in conveying the heated pipe to andthrough an enclosed chamber from which oxidizing atmosphere is excluded,and controlling the rate of travel of said pipe through said chamber tothe extent that the pipe is maintained in a non-oxidizing atmospherecreated by Water vapor until it has become cooled to a point below thatat which o;-;idution occurs.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

BENJAMIN P. HAZELTINE.

